I was born
in the eye of a storm
with no moon in the sky
between midnight
and dawn.
When I was young
I studied the transits of the planets
with sky watchers on Atlantis.
I saw alphabets
taking flight
from the winged silhouettes
of birds against the sky.
I wrote odes
to Osiris
on the very first sheet
of papyrus.
I was the only man allowed
on the Island of Lesbos
and each morn
Sappho would pin a poem
to my bedpost.
I went miles past the last
known fringe.
I drank psychedelic fluids with Druids
at Stonehenge,
then battled devils
on nine different levels
of hell,
that were made in
the crater when
Lucifer fell.
I've been on binges
smoking ganja by the Ganges
with some ninjas.
I've seen evil men do
I couldn't begin to
describe.
I've prayed with Hindu
Brahmins
and the shamans
of every tribe,
from Israelite to Shiite, Greek or Celtic
to Zulu to Zuni to Saxon or Toltec.
I've seen whole armies
commanded to wait
while I taught tactics
to young
Alexander the Great,
and the fact is,
when I think of my life,
it's hieroglyphics
to hip hop
in the blink of an eye.

I've had lifetimes
to write rhymes.
I've had lifetimes
to write rhymes
and get my game tight,
then waited to be incarnated
‘til they invented
the mic.

...and life
twists and fades      like
smoke in the stage    lights...

You know how many times I've
drawn my last breath?
At this point
I just point
and straight
laugh at death.
I brought ayahuasca to Lhasa
for the 10th Dalai Lama,
told tales to Ali Baba,
and broke down fables
for knights at round tables.
I studied phonetics and mathematics
with ascetics and fanatics.
I told a circle of
men that was
making a declaration
of independence
to watch out
'cause
the premise is
white male
supremacist.
I took political science from Machiavelli,
was a poetic disciple of Michael Cirelli,
and to transcend
time and space we
go see
Taalam Acey.
I got the gift of gab
from the ghost of Christmas past.
I passed through Nazareth,
asked Jesus to please
check on Lazarus.
I took excursions with Persians
that eventually drew me
to slam poems
with Shams
of Tabriz
and then Hafiz,
and Rumi.
I sat in silence for six years
to clear out the mind
then ran into three more Temptations
on cloud nine,
and from there, I swear,
I could see a
heavenly band
of seventy angels
singing backup
for Aaliyah

...'cause life
twists and fades      like
smoke in the stage    lights...

I've had limitless
lifetimes.
I've had limitless
lifetimes
to write rhymes
and get my game tight,
then waited to be incarnated
'til they invented
this
mic.

and life
twists and fades       like
smoke in the stage    lights...